This invention relates to article display devices and, more particularly, to suspended, hanger-type article display arrangements.
In the display of a wide variety of articles for sales purposes, it is highly desirable that the range of designs, colors, or shapes of each article are positioned for comparison by the customer. For example, in the display of carpet samples, retailers prefer to present carpet samples of the same design but of various colors in such a manner that the customer may readily view simultaneously the contrast between several samples. Also, for comparison purposes, samples of different designs but of the same color or different colors should also be displayed together. Such display procedures permit the customer to readily compare different samples of the article and, therefore, increase the ease with which he can make his subjective selection.
Such display techniques are also applicable to the marketing of various fabric designs, wallpaper designs, multi/or different color vinyls, garments, hardboard, and other such articles. In fact, such display arrangements are desirable for marketing any article which is available in a variety of designs and/or colors.
Heretofore, various hook suspended hanger arrangements have been available for the display of carpet samples, garments, fabrics and the like. These hanger arrangements have generally taken the form of a rigid, elongate body secured to a support hook and having a pair of clamp-like members positioned on the body. An example of one such arrangement may be found in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,092 to Garrison et al, entitled GARMENT CLAMPING HANGER WITH SLIDABLE LOCKING CLIPS and issued Oct. 23, 1973.
The arrangement disclosed in the aforementioned patent is designed primarily for the suspension of garments. The clamp-like members are formed integral with or fixedly secured to opposite ends of a transversely extending body. This arrangement is primarily adapted to the display of a single article. Multiple articles are not readily suspended from the hanger since the clamp members are fixedly positioned to the body and only a pair of clamps are provided.
Other arrangements are also known wherein a pair of clamping members are slidably positioned along the transverse rigid body. The clamping members are so mounted primarily to accommodate articles having a different transverse dimension, such as different styles of pants.
With all of these prior arrangements, the user is unable to readily display samples of different designs or colors which also have different transverse dimensions. Since only a pair of clamps are provided, each clamp must support or engage each of the samples. Due to the usually limited clamping force provided by the clamping members, the number of samples displayed, due primarily to their combined weight, is necessarily limited. Also, when samples are suspended which have different transverse dimensions, the clamps must generally be positioned to match the dimension of the smallest article. As a result, the number of possible arangements and size of the articles to be displayed is correspondingly reduced. If the clamps are positioned to fully engage the article having the smallest transverse dimension, the larger article will not be supported at one corner. As a result, the corner will flop over and a totally unsatisfactory display is presented.
A need, therefore, exists for a relatively inexpensive hanger arrangement which is capable of supporting a plurality of different size samples in a front-to-back relationship whereby the proper comparison between the samples may be obtained.